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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A federal judge in San Francisco dismissed a lawsuit that sought to stop construction of a U.S. military base in Japan that it said would harm the Okinawa dugong, an endangered marine mammal related to the manatee. "Put simply, this court lacks the power or necessary competence to enjoin or otherwise interfere with the construction of ...

WASHINGTON — A Pentagon spokesman says Ash Carter, who was confirmed by the Senate on Thursday as President Barack Obama's new defense secretary, will be sworn in on Tuesday.Rear Adm. John Kirby said the exact time of the swearing-in has not been set.Carter was picked by Obama to succeed Chuck Hagel after Hagel announced in November that he was resigning.Kirby ...

The U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee voted 25-0 on Tuesday to back Ashton Carter as President Barack Obama's next Secretary of Defense, paving the way for what is expected to be an easy confirmation in the full Senate as soon as Wednesday. Carter, 60, a former Pentagon No. 2 seen as a technocrat, was nominated to be Obama's fourth defense ...

The U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee voted 25-0 on Tuesday to back Ashton Carter as President Barack Obama's next Secretary of Defense, paving the way for what is expected to be an easy confirmation in the full Senate as soon as Wednesday. Carter, 60, a former Pentagon No. 2 seen as a technocrat, was nominated to be Obama's fourth defense ...